Glastonbury Upsets NFA, 6-0

GLASTONBURY — Norwich Free Academy had piled up an average of 44 points in its first two victories of the season. But against an unyielding Glastonbury defense Friday night NFA fell 44 points shy of that plateau.

Glastonbury used Jalen Ollie's 6-yard touchdown pass to Kyran McKinney-Crudden in the fourth quarter to stun the No. 3 team in The Courant state ratings 6-0 at a standing-room only Stadium Field.

"All week we read NFA tweets that said that it 'would be no contest' and 'they'd score 50 on us,' " Glastonbury defensive back/receiver Ethan Ericson said.

Glastonbury (3-1) didn't let such boasts come close to occurring.

"They have great athletes, but we had a bunch of players who bent but didn't break on defense," Glastonbury coach Scott Daniels said. "I'm so proud of them.

Boston College-bound NFA back Marcus Outlow, nursing a sore left ankle that he said limited him to "70-75 percent," had 81 rushing yards on 20 carries. NFA (2-1) managed to run for 178 yards, but couldn't cross the goal line.

It looked like NFA scored first on Anthony DiPietro's 65-yard TD pass to Ramel Williams with nine mintues and 34 seconds left in the first quarter. But an ineligible receiver downfield penalty erased that.

Four times in the game NFA failed to convert on fourth down, deep in Glastonbury territory: from the 27 with 6:41 remaining in the second quarter, from the 11 late in the second quarter, from the 16 with 6:12 to go in the third quarter and from the 8 early in the fourth quarter.

Glastonbury linemen Andrew Cavanna and Justin Barkley were stout. Defensive backs Donovan O'Reilly, Jake Madnick, Ericson and McKinney-Crudden were tight on receivers and thrust forward well on the run. NFA's Alex Beaudreault and DiPietro were a combined 7-18 for 79 passing yards.

"It could have easily been 28-0 if we had executed down there four times," coach Jemal Davis said. "We failed. ... The win was well deserved by them. They made the plays."

Glastonbury 's offense was limited to Ollie's 106 passing yards (9-17) and 71 yards rushing. But when it needed one drive it achieved it.

Ollie connected with Ericson on a key 37-yard completion on the drive. The Tomahawks, who certainly will rise from their No. 9 rating in The Courant area ratings, had a fourth-and-4 from the NFA 28.

Ollie passed 20 yards to McKinney-Crudden in the left flat to set up a first-and-goal from the 8. After a 2-yard O'Reilly run, Ollie swung a pass to McKinney-Crudden on the left side. He sprinted and vaulted into the end zone. He missed the conversion kick with 9:18 to go.

"The outside linebacker was blitzing the whole game," McKinney-Crudden said. "We just said 'a little shoot route and take advantage of it.' "